An office can never have too many designers, but designers who are also master branders? They are worth their weight in gold. We believe we have one of those here. Resound is excited to welcome Stephanie as our new art director.
Stephanie attended the College of Design at Arizona State University, content to spend most of her waking hours (and some of her ‘I really should be sleeping’ hours) in the studio. In 2009, after four years of intense Bauhaus-inspired training, she graduated summa cum laude and received a B.S. in Visual Communication Design. Bam.
Since then, she’s worked freelance, agency, non-profit, and in-house. Most recently, she was the art director for Frontiers (a humanitarian non-profit), where she lead a team and fostered design thinking. Before that, she was the senior user experience designer at Meltmedia, where she collaborated on websites and mobile apps. Stephanie’s passion lies in designing for the betterment of people and the world, so she gets excited when she sees how design improves lives in real ways—whether it’s making someone smile or solving big problems. She also gets excited about the advancement of women in tech/design and loves working with other ladies in the industry.
Stephanie loves to take road trips (she may or may not be afraid of flying), and you also might find her thrifting about for mid-century finds. She’s also big on throwing theme parties and having game nights with friends. She and her coffee-roasting husband Paul run a blog and hang out with their Corgi, Duncan. So grab a cup of coffee and get to know Stephanie…
Resound: When did you know that you were destined to be a designer?
Stephanie: One time I made a truly ugly jewelry box for my mother. I sat in my high school art class thinking about how much of a disaster it was. At that moment, I realized that even though I loved to make things, I didn’t want to be an artist. I found out my school offered an ‘advertising art’ class (I know, very Mad Men sounding) and I learned how imagination could solve problems. That next summer I graduated from high school and dove headfirst into design school.
Resound: What are you better at than 90 percent of the population?
Stephanie: Talking to strangers.
Resound: If you could only use five colors in your designs for the rest of your life, what would those colors be?
Stephanie: Oh man, they have to be versatile.
- Pirate Black. I have to choose a black and this one has the best name.
- A classic red.
- A happy blue.
- Warm Gray 8. It’s like curling up in a blanket.
- Gold is my not-so-guilty pleasure.
Resound: What’s in your fridge right now?
Stephanie: So many things! But my fridge staples include: a bottle of champagne, lots of eggs and cheese, peanut butter, homemade red sauce, bacon, butter, and whole milk. Clearly I enjoy the tastier things in life.
Resound: People shouldn’t cry over spilled milk, but it’s completely appropriate to cry over spilled _____.
Stephanie: Whiskey.
Resound: Did music have a golden age? When was it?
Stephanie: To me, a golden age harkens to the past while heralding future progress—it’s a time we can look back at and say “wow, that really accomplished something.” So, I’d have to say the 1960s. The folk music, blues, rock, and bluegrass have influenced so many things but it’s also just great music!
Resound: What are your relationship deal breakers?
Stephanie: If you don’t like Disneyland, I’m not sure if we can be friends.
Resound: You’ve won Publishers Clearing House! What do you do with the money?
Stephanie: That’s still a thing? I’d probably take a year-long trip with Paul around the world to experience different cultures, making sure to hit all the Disney parks along the way. Seriously, I have a major thing for Disneyland.
It’s improv time! Name 10 foods that never should have been created:
- Hákarl. Look it up.
- A whole chicken in a can
- Turkey bacon. It’s not bacon.
- Skim milk. It’s not milk.
- Jalapeño poppers
- Starbucks Frappuccino®
- Grits
- Pickled pigs feet
- Peanut butter and jelly in the same jar
- Fruitcake, because it’s nothing but a punchline at this point
